McDonald\u2019s aimed to tap into the heart of the holiday hustle and bustle with a new AI-generated commercial. Instead, it found itself at the center of an online backlash.<\/p>\n
The ad<\/a>, which has since been removed by the company, portrays shoppers navigating holiday chaos, mishaps, messes and stress, before highlighting the peace and ease a McDonald\u2019s meal can bring.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the most terrible marketing decision of the year. Congratulations,\u201d one Instagram user<\/a> wrote. <\/p>\n In a statement to BBC News, McDonald\u2019s Netherlands said the video was intended to \u201creflect the stressful moments that can occur during the holidays in the Netherlands.\u201d The company added it recognizes \u201cthat for many of our guests, the season is \u2018the most wonderful time of the year.\u201d <\/p>\n Ultimately, the company decided to pull the ad altogether.<\/p>\n \u201cThis moment serves as an important learning as we explore the effective use of AI,\u201d the company added.<\/p>\n The content was created by U.S. production company The Sweetshop Films and Dutch advertising agency TBWA\/Neboko.<\/p>\n Sweetshop Films CEO Melanie Bridge defended the ad in a now-deleted LinkedIn post, as reported by Agence France-Presse. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s never about replacing craft, it\u2019s about expanding the toolbox. The vision, the taste, the leadership … that will always be human,\u201d Bridge wrote, according to AFP. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd here\u2019s the part people don\u2019t see: the hours that went into this job far exceeded a traditional shoot. Ten people, five weeks, full-time.\u201d <\/p>\n Online reactions were largely critical. Users on X called the AI advert \u201cunsettling,\u201d \u201ccreepy,\u201d \u201cpoorly edited\u201d and \u201cinauthentic.\u201d <\/p>\n Much of the criticism focused on the ad\u2019s tone.<\/p>\n One user said the ad \u201cdemonizes the fun parts of the holiday while promoting commercialization that ruined Christmas in the first place, shameless.\u201d <\/p>\n McDonald\u2019s experience highlights a growing tension in modern advertising: as brands turn to artificial intelligence to shorten timelines and cut costs, they are being met with unexpected backlash from consumers and creatives. <\/p>\n Coca-Cola has become one of the most prominent \u2014 and controversial \u2014 case studies in AI advertising. In 2024, the beverage giant faced significant backlash after releasing an AI-generated holiday commercial that paid homage to its iconic 1995 ad \u201cHolidays Are Coming.\u201d While the original featured real actors and physical Coca-Cola trucks, the AI remake replaced them with computer-generated people, animals and objects. <\/p>\n Online users described the ad as \u201csoulless\u201d and \u201cdevoid of any actual creativity,\u201d as NBC News<\/a> reported at the time. Hollywood writer Alex Hirsch critiqued the company: \u201cCoca-Cola is red because it\u2019s made from the blood of out-of-work artists.\u201d <\/p>\n Despite the criticism, Coca-Cola leadership has remained firm in its stance that AI will play a role in advertising. \u201cThe genie is out of the bottle,\u201d Pratik Thakar, Coca-Cola\u2019s head of generative AI, told The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>. \u201cAnd you\u2019re not going to put it back in.\u201d <\/p>\n This year, Coca-Cola tried again, releasing an AI-assisted holiday ad featuring generated animals throughout the commercial, with only a single human, Santa Claus, appearing at the very end. Thakar acknowledged the previous year\u2019s backlash but emphasized improvements. <\/p>\n \u201cLast year people criticized the craftsmanship. But this year the craftsmanship is ten times better,\u201d he told The Hollywood Reporter. \u201cThere will be people who criticize \u2014 we cannot keep everyone 100 percent happy,” he added. \u201cBut if the majority of consumers see it in a positive way it\u2019s worth going forward.\u201d <\/p>\n